


Ipanema

by Alcnolien



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 08:37:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6650626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alcnolien/pseuds/Alcnolien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An akuma attacks Le Grand Paris, and neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir are anywhere to be found! On an unrelated note, Marinette and Adrien are trapped in the elevator.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ipanema

 It was the moment all students dread: group project time.

Every person deals with this type of ordeal in a different way. Max, for example, sighed in resignation, hoping to himself that he wouldn't be left with the brunt of the work yet again. At the front of the room, Adrien was practically on the edge of his seat, hands folded expectantly, his eyes bright with excitement. Next to him, Nino tapped his foot restlessly out of anxiety, simply hoping that he'd be grouped with someone competent. Behind him, Alya gazed with a steely calm at a fixed point at the front of the room, gathering her resolve to endure the trials that group projects inevitably brought about.

And next to her, Marinette prayed like she had never prayed before.

_Please don't put me with Chloe again, please don't put me with Chloe again, please oh please I'll do anything just PLEASE don't put me with Chloe again..._

“Alright, so the group assignments are as follows. Nino, Alya, and Ivan...” Nino sighed with relief, flopping his arm behind him for a high five from Alya. “Juleka, Sabrina, and Mylene... Max, Rose, and Nathanael.... Marinette...”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could, her fingers, toes, and every other appendage she could think of crossed. _Not Chloe, Not Chloe, NOT CHLOE, NOT......_

“... Chloe...”

She groaned, leaning forward until her forehead hit her desk. (Another simultaneous groan came from Chloe's general direction on the other side of the room.) Of course. Of _course_. Why would the universe listen to this one, single, teeny weeny eensie weensie request? This was not her lucky day.

“... and Adrien.”

Marinette's eyes flew open as she bolted back upright, sitting rigid in her seat. Adrien glanced back at her, offering a thumbs up and a brief smile before returning his attention to the front of the classroom. Marinette blinked slowly, before the faint hint of a smile crept up one side of her mouth. Maybe her luck was turning around after all.

“... And that leaves Alix and Kim for our last group. If anyone has any questions about the topics, feel free to come ask me. In the meantime, gather into your groups and work together until lunchtime.”

Marinette turned desperately to Alya, who simply laughed at the sight of her face vacillating between joy and horror. Smiling sympathetically, she gently patted her friend's shoulder. “Man, I dunno if you're the luckiest or unluckiest girl I know. Keep your chin up, Marinette, it's only for one project.” Marinette nodded glumly as Alya stood to gather with her group at Nino's desk. Adrien turned around in his chair to face Marinette as Chloe sauntered over, leaning with one hand on Marinette's desk.

“So,” Chloe started before anyone else got a chance to speak. “Obviously, we should work on the project at my place.”

Both Marinette and Adrien blinked. “Not that I mind, but, why _obviously_?” Adrien asked cautiously.

“Well, it _is_ the penthouse apartment of a 5-star hotel. If we're going to do this project, we might as well work on it in the lap of luxury. And besides,” she continued, allowing her gaze to linger for a moment on Marinette, “I know that _some_ of us rarely get to experience first class accommodations and cuisine, so I'm offering my home out of the goodness of my heart.” She flipped her hair with a smug grin. “I'm just incredibly generous and thoughtful that way.”

Marinette scoffed. “Yes, and so humble, too,” she muttered. Louder than she had meant to, as Chloe shot her a glare while Adrien failed to suppress a snicker.

“Hey, Chloe, that's not fair,” he interrupted before Chloe could go off on Marinette, . “I'm sure your father's hotel has top rated cuisine, but I've never had better food than the tarts from her parent's bakery.” Marinette smiled at Adrien gratefully while Chloe scoffed.

“ _Anyway_ ,” he continued, “We should probably figure out what we need to get together before we get started.” And with that, they set to work planning out their project- Marinette volunteered to borrow books from the library, while Chloe surprisingly offered to gather craft supplies and snacks. Adrien had fencing practice after school, so they all agreed to meet at the hotel after his practice ended.

 

* * *

 

Adrien exited fencing practice later that afternoon, grunting as he hefted his equipment bag over his shoulder. He craned his neck to check the clock in the courtyard when he noticed Marinette out of the corner of his eye, carrying a stack of books so tall it went above her head. She seemed to be handling the weight ok, but she couldn't exactly see where she was going. He winced as she almost collided with another student, before stepping forward to offer a hand.

“Hey, Marinette!”

Marinette yelped, jerking around to look at Adrien and almost toppling the stack over, just barely managed to regain balance and readjust her grip. “A-Adrien! Hello! Wh-what brings you here?” She kicked herself mentally.

Adrien cocked an eyebrow as the corner of his mouth lifted in a confused smile. “Uh... you know, school. The usual.” His smile fell as he incredulously looked the stack of books up and down. “Are... are all of these books for the project?”

“Ah... yeah.” She nodded. The topmost books started to slip off the pile again, only to be caught at the last moment as Marinette shifted her grip again. “There were so many books on Jeanne Valois and the affair of the diamond necklace, I couldn't decide which ones to check out. So, uh, I figured, might as well get all of them!” Her awkward laugh morphed into a squawk as the books tried to escape her grasp a third time.

“Well, there's no reason for you to carry them all by yourself. Let me help, I'll carry some.”

“Wha- nonono, I'm okay, really! You're already carrying your fencing stuff, there's no reason you should take this, too. I'll be fine.”

“Come on, Marinette. This project is supposed to be a group effort, I can't let you do all the work. We're a team now! Let me help.” He held his hands out, his eyes pleading.

Marinette attempted to stutter through a couple more objections before relenting with a sigh, passing off the upper half of the stack. “Th-thank you, Adrien. Just let me know if it's too much.”

“It'll be fine, it's not much of a walk to the car. You're riding with me, right?” He grinned. “No sense in walking when the car's here already.”

 

* * *

 

The awkward silence in the car was overwhelming. Marinette had spent enough one-on-one time with Adrien at this point that she should have felt more confident, but being in the enclosed space by themselves was a bit much. That awkwardness continued outside the car, through the hotel's lobby and onto the elevator. _Just say something, Marinette! How hard is it to start a conversation! “Hey Adrien, how about the weather lately?” Simple! “Adrien, what did you think of that new mix Nino put together the other day?” Easy! Just! Say! Something!!!_

Her reverie was cut short, however, by a deep rumble coming from above, the elevator jolting to a stop as the building shook. The sudden shock sent the two stumbling into each other,

“What was that?!” Both teenagers gazed upwards at the ceiling, worry creasing their brows. It took a moment for either of them to move, before Marinette realized where she was and jumped away, blushing furiously. She went to look over the button panel in an attempt to play off her embarrassment, pressing the open door button several times before picking up the emergency phone.

“Hello? Yes, the elevator is stuck, did something happen? Uh huh... uhh huh... _an akuma_??!” Both teenagers tensed, although neither noticed the others reaction. Adrien immediately started looking around for a way to escape, his eyes roving over the interior before settling on a handle built into the ceiling labeled “emergency exit”. He was about to point it out when Marinette spoke again. “Ok... ok... should we try forcing the door open so we can get out and use the emergency stairs? S-sit _tight_? But what if- But I-” she sighed. “Ok, ok, we'll sit tight and wait for help.” She hung up the phone and turned to face him, expression grim. “Apparently, trying to get out is too risky; if we force the door or try to climb out we could make it worse, and, uh...”

They both looked at the floor, not wanting to think about what could happen. “... Did they say how long we might have to wait?” Adrien asked.

Marinette shook her head. “Unless the Akuma leaves the building, we'll have to wait until....” She inhaled, setting her brow as she looked up to meet his eye. “... Until L-Ladybug or Chat Noir show up. The staff said they'd let them know we're stuck in here when they do.”

_Only Ladybug's not gonna show up because I'M STUCK IN HERE._ Marinette clenched her fist, biting her bottom lip. _My only hope is that Chat Noir shows up to rescue us- I can't exactly transform in front of Adrien!_

Adrien glanced away, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “W-well, I'm sure it can't be too long, then. They always show up sooner or later.”

_Ladybug can handle things on her own if she has to, but I hate being stuck in here when I could do something._

Caught up in his own thoughts, he almost didn't notice Marinette sigh heavily and sink to the floor, leaning back against the elevator's wall. Adrien stared at her for a moment before moving to sit next to her, his elbow resting on his knee. The only thing that was keeping them from complete and utter silence was the elevator music that somehow hadn't been cut off by whatever disturbance had stranded them there.

_Tall and tan and young and lovely_  
_The girl from Ipanema goes walking_  
_and when she passes_  
_each one she passes goes_  
_“Ah”_  
_When she walks she's like a samba_  
_that swings so cool and sways so gently_

Adrien sighed, pulling his phone out. “Maybe Alya's got some information about what's going on on the Ladyblog...”

Marinette glanced down and noticed the charm she had given him a month ago, during preparations for the gaming tournament, hanging off of his cell phone.

“Is that...”

Adrien looked at her questioningly, before following her gaze down to the charm. “Oh, right! The charm! I never did return it, did I?” He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. “Sorry about that. I'll give it back now, if you want.”

Marinette shook her head, smiling. “Have you noticed any difference while playing since I lent it to you?”

Adrien hesitated, before furrowing his eyebrows in thought. “Huh... you know, now that you mention it, I have been doing better lately.”

“Good, then you should keep it.”

“What? No, Marinette, I-”

“Please, I insist. If it's really helping you, then I'm happy to let it go to someone who needs it.”

Adrien couldn't hold back a smirk as he cocked one eyebrow. “'Someone who needs it?' I didn't realize my situation was so desperate.”

Marinette's face turned beet red as she reeled back, stumbling over her words. “N-no, I mean, uh, not that you need it! But! B-but if it helps!”

Adrien laughed. “Relax, Marinette, I was just joking. But really, I've had it for long enough, you should have it back.”

Marinette took a breath to try to regain her composure before shaking her head stubbornly. “Really, I insist. I can always make another one.”

Adrien sighed, relenting. “Ok, fine, I'll keep it. But, on one condition,” he continued, “You have to explain how you pulled off that finishing move in the tournament last month.”

Marinette smiled. “Deal.”

They spent the hour or so discussing Ultimate Mecha Strike III technique, minutia, and strategy. Marinette was happy that she was able to talk to him without stumbling over her words or visibly freaking out. She even laughed at one point, trying to explain a particular combo that he was having difficulty wrapping his head around.

“Ok, seriously, what are you talking about? 'Half an A press?'”

“No, no, I'm serious, if you press the A button before the fight starts, your character's projectile attack is fully charged when you start, so you just let go of the A button to start off a combo.”

“No, no, I get that, and it's awesome, but what I don't get is how that constitutes 'half of a button press' when you definitely press the button!”

“Because you didn't press it down during the fight itself!”

“What does that even matt-”

Marinette's phone buzzed, interrupting Adrien's train of thought. “Oh, hold on, Alya's texting me.” Marinette pulled out her phone,

_Hey, you and Adrien are in the hotel with that Akuma, right? Any inside info you can pass on? The police won't let me inside 'for my own safety' or something smh_

Marinette giggled to herself as she typed a response. _How dare they be concerned about your safety, journalism is on the line! I've got nothing, unfortunately, we're trapped on the elevator. Let me know anything you find out, ok? And don't try anything funny, it sounds rough up there._

_Can't make any promises! Sit tight up there, I'm sure Ladybug or Chat Noir will show up any minute_

_They still haven't shown up yet?_

_Nope_

Marinette swore under her breath, before clapping a hand over her mouth, mortified that Adrien might have heard. He tilted his head, his brow furrowed in concern. “Is something wrong?”

She sighed, glancing back at her phone. “M-maybe... apparently, neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir have shown up yet. We might be in trouble.”

“Seriously?” Adrien leaned back against the wall, massaging his temple. “Man, I hope nothing's wrong, Ladybug usually shows right up.”

“Yeah, heck, half the time Chat's there before anyone else. I wonder what's going on.”

They both sat back, staring at the opposite wall as the elevator fell back into relative silence. Marinette fiddled with her shoelaces, while Adrien clenched and unclenched his fist. Miraculously, the music was still going.

_But I watch her so sadly_  
_How can I tell her I love her?_  
_Yes, I would give my heart gladly_  
_But each day, when she walks to the sea_  
_She looks straight ahead, not at me_  
_Tall and tan and young and lovely_

“... How is this song _still_ playing?” Adrien asked with a dry laugh.

Marinette laughed as well, shaking her head. “We've been in here for what, an hour?”

“I think so, yeah.”

Marinette frowned. _This is taking forever, I have to get us out of here! Screw waiting for Chat! There's got to be some way to get us out safely!_ She let her instincts kick in, scouring the room with her eyes trying to find anything she could use to escape. _I may not have my powers, but I have to at least try! Come on, there has to be something!_

Adrien noticed her fidgeting, his eyebrows knitting together. “Hey, hey, don't worry, it's gonna be ok.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a comforting smile. “It'll be fine, Marinette! I'm sure Ladybug will come and rescue us any second!”

Marinette looked back at him, her brain short circuiting for a moment before she tried to smile back, managing only a strained grimace. “Y-yeah, you're right! I'm sure she'll be here soon! Heh heh heh....” She screamed internally.

Adrien's smile fell. “Are you alright? You look kind of tired. Here,” he said, moving his hand around her back to her other shoulder, giving it a comforting rub. “Lean on me, you should get some rest. No need to stress yourself out.”

Marinette's eye twitched, her face turning red as a tomato, as her mouth locked into a thin line. “I-I... uh...” She swallowed, any attempt at protesting being stifled by his smile. “O-okay.” She gently leaned into him, staring intently at her shoes and trying to slow down her racing heartbeat. Half of her brain had wandered off into fantasy, while the other half was filled with more screaming. A small smile slowly formed, despite herself. She may have been trapped in a death box, but she never wanted this moment to end.

Alas, end the moment did as another distant rumble set the elevator cabin jerking to one side. The two of them instinctively clung to each other, staring apprehensively at the ceiling, both holding their breath. They held as still as possible, the elevator silent except for a long, hollow creak.

“.... Well that wasn't so bad.”

As if responding to the irony, the elevator jerked again, giving one last drawn out metallic groan before something finally snapped, and the elevator started to plummet. Adrien and Marinette's stomachs jumped up into their throats as they both screamed, desperately clinging to each other.

_There's no other option!_ Marinette thought, her teeth clenched. _I have to..._

_I have to transform!_ Adrien's brow furrowed, his jaw set.

Marinette blindly fumbled for her purse, as Adrien practically yanked Plagg out from his shirt pocket. The elevator shrieking around them was deafening, practically drowning out their next words:

“Tikki!”

“Plagg!”

**_“Transform Me!”_ **

Running on instinct, Ladybug hefted the boy she had been clinging to over her shoulder as soon as the transitional flash of light had faded, running to brace herself against the opposite wall of the elevator before launching toward the escape hatch on the ceiling. She pried at the release handle, but it refused to budge. Eyes closed and teeth grit, she shifted her grip while trying not to drop her baggage, and pulled as hard as she could, but to no avail.

Somewhere, beyond the deafening din of the elevator's metallic screech, she thought she could hear a faint “cataclysm!” and the hatch finally gave way. She pulled herself halfway out, desperately flinging her yoyo at the side of the elevator shaft, hoping that it would find something to latch onto. To her relief, it did, jerking the two of them to a stop as the rest of the elevator plummeted past them, screaming the rest of the way down before a distant crash signaled its journeys end. The yoyo slowly wound up automatically, pulling the two of them upwards until they came level with a doorway.

She managed to pry the door open, the two of them toppling through once it gave way and collapsing on the floor of the hall, breathing hard from the effort and adrenaline. “That... that was a closer call than I would have liked.” She took a deep breath to calm her shaky nerves, holding it for a moment before letting it out slowly. Well, the secret was out now. _It couldn't be helped... it was either transform or die._ She shook her head, mentally preparing herself for the inevitable fallout before turning to face her companion. “A-are you alright, Adrie-”

And she froze.

Gazing back up at her from the floor where Adrien should have been was Chat Noir.

“... Uh.”

The two of them stared at each other, too dumbstruck to think or do anything else. Ladybug's brain died and rebooted several times, to no avail, trying to resolve the conflict in information. _I rescued Adrien from the elevator, but this is Chat Noir. Therefore...._ Error. Brain Over. Virus = very yes.

Chat was the first one to move, swallowing thickly as he tried to form words. Word. At least one audible sound, but it was like his mouth was full of cotton. Ladybug tensed, scared of whatever it was he was definitely about to say.

“.... M..... Marinette?”

And with that single word, the conflict of information finally resolved with a sickening crunch. “... _ADRIEN???_ ”

Chat stared up at Ladybug, eyes as wide as saucer plates. She stared back at him, equally bug-eyed. Every part of him felt so tense it felt like he was about to snap in two. He stuttered, trying to say something, anything, to fill the silence. She tried to talk a the same time, stumbling over her words like she always did in front of Adrien- but no, this was Chat, _but if Chat is Adrien, then...._

“I... I... uh...” he swallowed.

“H... how...”

He gave a weak laugh, finally, clapping a hand to his forehead. “Heh... I must be the biggest idiot. How did I not notice?”

Ladybug buried her face in her hands, trying to make sense of it all. “How did you not notice? How did _I_ not notice? I've been staring at the back of your head all year, you'd think I'd notice a _couple_ of similarities!”

“I just thought that the pigtails were a popular hairstyle!” He laughed, a smile slowly spreading on his face as he sat up. “I... I'm in the same class as Ladybug?”

Meanwhile, Ladybug was having a minor breakdown as she slowly curled into a fetal position. “And you were Adrien the whole time! How long have you just been outright _flirting with me?_ ”

“A-and you always knew the names of people in our class! It's so _obvious_! Seriously, I'm in the _same class_ as Ladybug!?”

“And I just shot you down like it was nothing! Even that time with the Evillustrator, I just... I can't...!”

“I mean you literally sit right behind me! We see each other every day!” He laughed again, feeling giddy despite himself. “I'm in the same class as Ladybug!” He hardly believed it himself, even as he said it out loud.

“AND THE KISS, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE KISS, OH GOD”

“Wait, hold on, what kiss?”

“WHEN WE FOUGHT KIM, REMEMBER?”

“I only remember the stuff I wish I _didn't_ , wh-what kiss?”

“AAARRGHHGGHGH!!!”

They were both just screaming incomprehensibly at this point; the impact of the revelation may have been _just_ a bit too much for them.

Another distant rumble above them brought them both to their senses. They both sheepishly stared up at the ceiling, before hesitantly looking back to one another. Chat scratched the back of his head.

“... Maybe we should save the rest of this freakout for after we capture the Akuma.”

“Yeah, I think we're gonna want to have a good long talk once this ordeal is over.”

“It does sound rough up there. Hawkmoth's got our work cut out for us.”

“I meant the project with Chloe.”

They both had a good chuckle at that, before sobering up. They stood and walked back to the opened entrance to the elevator shaft. Ladybug threw her yoyo, giving it a firm tug for safety.

“A talk does sound nice... maybe...” Chat hesitated, afraid to cross any more boundaries than had already been crossed. “.... Maybe, over dinner? Or uh,” He backtracked, not wanting to come on too strong, “I-if not dinner, then lunch, or uh... coffee?” He winced, trying to prepare for the usual rejection.

Ladybug paused, one hand still holding the yoyo as she turned to look back at Chat. A wry smile spread on her face as she held out her hand, only a faint blush betraying anything other than her usual confidence.

“..... It's a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction I've written in more than a decade, so I just wanted to say that I am absolutely overwhelmed by the response this story has received! It was an absolute joy to write and now I'm itching to write more.  
> I added a couple of illustrations that I've been wanting to do ever since I got the idea for this story.


End file.
